Mumbo Jumbo [Paperback]

 

 

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It is a crime that this book has an average rating of three stars. I submit that those who have given poor reviews are simply ill equipped to handle the complexity of this brilliant work.

The hero is PaPa LaBas, a New Orleans "houngan" who is trying to discover the source (the Text) of a "psychic plague" called "Jes Grew" which is sweeping the nation in the 1920s (whether you interpret it to mean Ragtime or the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance). J.G.C.s, or its "carriers," are overcome by a passionate desire to dance and have a good time. Their militant wing, the "Mu'tafikah" (I love that name), are involved in activities like art-napping non-Western artifacts (African masks and sculpture, a giant Olmec head from Central America) from the Center of Art Detention (which not surprisingly, has the same address as the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and returning them to the places where they come from. They're opposed by the "Atonists" (the bluenoses, those dedicated to the glorification of Western culture, the Protestant work ethic, etc.) and its affiliated organization, the Wallflower Order (whose motto is "Lord, if I can't dance, no one will"). Reed's work always lampoons historical figures, fictional and literary characters, and especially religion. The character named "Hinckle Von Vampton" (a parody of Carl Van Vechten, the literary agent for many black writers in the 1920s) is a Wallflower member who infiltrates the Harlem community to manipulate its artists and destroy the movement. He plans to start a magazine featuring a Talking Android who will tell the J.G.C.s that Jes Grew is not ready for primetime and "owes a large debt to Irish Theater." Reed satirizes everyone and everything from Warren G. Harding's ancestry to Irene Castle, the dance instructor who was used by the Establishment to show Americans the "Castle Way," and denounce the so-called Animal Dances (many with Black origins, like the "Turkey Trot," the "Bunny Hug," the "Chicken Scratch, the "Possum Trot," etc) as "ugly," "ungraceful," and "out of fashion." You always learn something about American history and culture by reading an Ishmael Reed novel, although not always immediately. At the top of page 184 is a photo of what appears to be a black clergyman surrounded by three rows of mostly African-American men in formal wear, including W.E.B. Du Bois. The photo at the bottom of the page is of a diverse group, including the author, standing around a statue of Buddha with mountains in the background. Does it mean anything? I'm not sure, however, I think that during this period there was resistance to jazz music by some of the African-American elite, and although I'm not qualified to comment on Du Bois's views, the photo could be a kind of satirizing. I know that James Weldon Johnson (who is referred to in the novel, as are Harlem Renaissance figures Claude McKay, Wallace Thurman, Countee Cullen, and the fictional Nathan Brown) praised Black music and co-wrote some famous music and lyrics. But I'm not even going to venture a guess about the intended target of Reed's satire in the character of Hubert "Safecracker" Gould, Von Vampton's colleague who delivers the hilarious epic poem, "Harlem Tom Toms" (for BJF) to a high-society audience.

this is the first book by ishmael reed i have read and it was great. a tour-de-force of language and sound, this book makes obvious the absurdity of the current and past state of race relations in this country. although the narrative structure is unorthodox, this is really not a difficult book to follow in terms of storyline, at least for anyone who has an open mind and isn't expecting to be spoon fed a plot. the basic battle here is between the new religions of sterile GOD and the old ones of animism, gods and demons, but really this is about holding on to that unmeasurable quality that we call SOUL. read this book with an open mind and i promise you will laugh or at least smirk to yourself on several occasions, and it may just make you want to thrust your hips and twist and shake your bootie in defiance of all those who wish to suppress that primal urge that lives within us all.

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5.0 out of 5 stars delightful. irreverent. engrossing. /or/ IT'S ALIVE!
This book is getting a bad rap from editorial reviews on this page--all seemingly from the same college English class who were apparently required to write reviews whether they... Read more

Published on July 7 2002 by notaprofessional

3.0 out of 5 stars Strange....
Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed is a very interesting story. The only reason why I would read a book like this is because I have to read it for English class. Read more

Published on May 8 2002 by Scott Jencius

3.0 out of 5 stars The only title that could truly fit this book
What can I say about the book Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed. This book is interesting, and entertaining if you can stay with it. Read more

Published on April 9 2002 by Jenifer

3.0 out of 5 stars Mumbo Jumbo
Mumbo Jumbo is a book about a Jes Grew and about the African American culture coming to life. This Jes Grew was an anti-plague that enlightened the African Americans to spread... Read more

Published on April 6 2002 by Gina

3.0 out of 5 stars None
The book Mumbo Jumbo is not a just an easy book you can just pick up and read, but is actually quite challenging. Read more

Published on April 5 2002

2.0 out of 5 stars mumbo jumbo review
The book mumbo jumbo, by Ishmael Reed, is a story about well, it seems almost nothing. The title of this book clearly explains the issues and storyline throughout the book. Read more

Published on April 5 2002 by emily

1.0 out of 5 stars This Book was... umm... :-/
Is it possible to review a book that nobody understands? Well, i'm going to give it a shot. Mumbo Jumbo is a book that no1 would read 2wise. Read more

Published on April 5 2002 by mejets1

3.0 out of 5 stars The Jumbo of the Jazz Age
Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo is one of the most famous literary works written by an African American. Read more

Published on April 4 2002 by Lindsay

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a very good book......
I feel the book Mumjo Jumbo by Ishmeal Reed was very confusing, and I would not recommend it to anyone. Read more

Published on April 4 2002 by Megan Powers

3.0 out of 5 stars Say What?
Ishmael Reed has quite a talent. He has the unique ability to make you love or hate every word he writes. This novel was intriguing and aggrevating simultaneously. Read more

Published on April 4 2002

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